Narrative:

On 7/sat/88, I called FSS at approximately XA45Z to file an IFR flight plan from columbus, oh, to north myrtle beach (grand stand), sc. Our flight plan was filed as follows: cmh rv hnn direct hvq direct psk V45 gso direct sdz rv cre. After filing the flight plan I told the FSS briefer that I needed a complete WX briefing. The briefer informed me that both cmh and cre were presently and forecasted to be good VFR with ceilings above 3000' and visibility over 5 mi. The forecasted winds were 260 at 8 to 22 KTS (3000-9000' level). There were no flight precaution, PIREPS, sigmets or airmets, or NOTAMS. The WX along the route of flight for the next several hours was to be 5-7 mi visibility with haze. The controller did not mention any rain or thunderstorms that were presently along the route of flight or any forecasted. I departed cmh at X000Z under good VFR conditions. After about 1 hour into the flight I began to get into the forecasted haze conditions. As a precaution, I turned on the onboard WX radar to confirm what the briefer had forecast, that there should be no thunderstorms. The WX radar showed a line of moderate rain showers from my 10 O'clock position to my 2 O'clock position. At that time there was no reason to deviate around the rain. As I began to get into the rain, the WX alert on the radar began to show an intense area of cells directly in front of my position. At this time the rain was intensifying with lightning and turbulence. I tried to contact the controling facility (which I believe was leesburg approach control at the time) to request a deviation out of the WX, west/O success. The radar showed that a deviation of 20-25 degrees to the right of my present course would get me out of the thunderstorm. I again tried to contact the controling agency to get permission for this deviation west/O success. The WX was still intensifying, and at the time I made the decision that I must deviate around the group of cells, due to the intensity, for safety reasons. After the deviation and out of the cell, I immediately tried to contact the controling agency who at the time was trying to contact me. He asked if I was on course. I replied that I was turning back on course right now and that I did have to make a slight deviation around a group of cells. He responded by informing me that I must request a deviation next time and to contact the next controling agency. I acknowledged that I would continue to request deviations and I contacted the next controling agency. On initial contact with remaining controling agencies along the route of flight, I gave my call sign, altitude and I notified them that I had on board radar and I would like to request deviations around the cells and buildups along my route of flight. Deviation was approved by all controling agencies at my discretion. I did notify FSS (grand stand) of the unforecasted thunderstorms and buildups along my route of flight, as well as the controling agencies along my route of flight. On my return trip, after a WX briefing from FSS, I rerouted around the area of thunderstorms. I would like to suggest that for safety reasons, on initial contact with a controling frequency, that the controller could state that he knows there are cells and buildups along your route of flight, and if feasible, suggest headings for you instead of waiting until the pilot either has to request deviations before getting into a cell, or the pilot has to take immediate action get out of a cell. I know that most controllers are very helpful in this area, but as in my case, the controling agency that I worked with had radar that he was using to look at the WX and in no case aided any pilots around WX unless the pilot requested after he had gotten into it. (This was during the time that I was listening on his frequency.) if it is mandatory that ATC help pilots around WX, there would be a lot fewer pilots flying blindly into, particularly when it is unforecasted or embedded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEVIATION AROUND TSTM WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON 7/SAT/88, I CALLED FSS AT APPROX XA45Z TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM COLUMBUS, OH, TO NORTH MYRTLE BEACH (GRAND STAND), SC. OUR FLT PLAN WAS FILED AS FOLLOWS: CMH RV HNN DIRECT HVQ DIRECT PSK V45 GSO DIRECT SDZ RV CRE. AFTER FILING THE FLT PLAN I TOLD THE FSS BRIEFER THAT I NEEDED A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING. THE BRIEFER INFORMED ME THAT BOTH CMH AND CRE WERE PRESENTLY AND FORECASTED TO BE GOOD VFR WITH CEILINGS ABOVE 3000' AND VIS OVER 5 MI. THE FORECASTED WINDS WERE 260 AT 8 TO 22 KTS (3000-9000' LEVEL). THERE WERE NO FLT PRECAUTION, PIREPS, SIGMETS OR AIRMETS, OR NOTAMS. THE WX ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HRS WAS TO BE 5-7 MI VIS WITH HAZE. THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION ANY RAIN OR TSTMS THAT WERE PRESENTLY ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLT OR ANY FORECASTED. I DEPARTED CMH AT X000Z UNDER GOOD VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE FLT I BEGAN TO GET INTO THE FORECASTED HAZE CONDITIONS. AS A PRECAUTION, I TURNED ON THE ONBOARD WX RADAR TO CONFIRM WHAT THE BRIEFER HAD FORECAST, THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO TSTMS. THE WX RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS FROM MY 10 O'CLOCK POS TO MY 2 O'CLOCK POS. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO REASON TO DEVIATE AROUND THE RAIN. AS I BEGAN TO GET INTO THE RAIN, THE WX ALERT ON THE RADAR BEGAN TO SHOW AN INTENSE AREA OF CELLS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY POS. AT THIS TIME THE RAIN WAS INTENSIFYING WITH LIGHTNING AND TURB. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE CTLING FAC (WHICH I BELIEVE WAS LEESBURG APCH CTL AT THE TIME) TO REQUEST A DEVIATION OUT OF THE WX, W/O SUCCESS. THE RADAR SHOWED THAT A DEVIATION OF 20-25 DEGS TO THE RIGHT OF MY PRESENT COURSE WOULD GET ME OUT OF THE TSTM. I AGAIN TRIED TO CONTACT THE CTLING AGENCY TO GET PERMISSION FOR THIS DEVIATION W/O SUCCESS. THE WX WAS STILL INTENSIFYING, AND AT THE TIME I MADE THE DECISION THAT I MUST DEVIATE AROUND THE GROUP OF CELLS, DUE TO THE INTENSITY, FOR SAFETY REASONS. AFTER THE DEVIATION AND OUT OF THE CELL, I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CONTACT THE CTLING AGENCY WHO AT THE TIME WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ME. HE ASKED IF I WAS ON COURSE. I REPLIED THAT I WAS TURNING BACK ON COURSE RIGHT NOW AND THAT I DID HAVE TO MAKE A SLIGHT DEVIATION AROUND A GROUP OF CELLS. HE RESPONDED BY INFORMING ME THAT I MUST REQUEST A DEVIATION NEXT TIME AND TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLING AGENCY. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WOULD CONTINUE TO REQUEST DEVIATIONS AND I CONTACTED THE NEXT CTLING AGENCY. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH REMAINING CTLING AGENCIES ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLT, I GAVE MY CALL SIGN, ALT AND I NOTIFIED THEM THAT I HAD ON BOARD RADAR AND I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST DEVIATIONS AROUND THE CELLS AND BUILDUPS ALONG MY ROUTE OF FLT. DEVIATION WAS APPROVED BY ALL CTLING AGENCIES AT MY DISCRETION. I DID NOTIFY FSS (GRAND STAND) OF THE UNFORECASTED TSTMS AND BUILDUPS ALONG MY ROUTE OF FLT, AS WELL AS THE CTLING AGENCIES ALONG MY ROUTE OF FLT. ON MY RETURN TRIP, AFTER A WX BRIEFING FROM FSS, I REROUTED AROUND THE AREA OF TSTMS. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT FOR SAFETY REASONS, ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH A CTLING FREQ, THAT THE CTLR COULD STATE THAT HE KNOWS THERE ARE CELLS AND BUILDUPS ALONG YOUR ROUTE OF FLT, AND IF FEASIBLE, SUGGEST HDGS FOR YOU INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THE PLT EITHER HAS TO REQUEST DEVIATIONS BEFORE GETTING INTO A CELL, OR THE PLT HAS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION GET OUT OF A CELL. I KNOW THAT MOST CTLRS ARE VERY HELPFUL IN THIS AREA, BUT AS IN MY CASE, THE CTLING AGENCY THAT I WORKED WITH HAD RADAR THAT HE WAS USING TO LOOK AT THE WX AND IN NO CASE AIDED ANY PLTS AROUND WX UNLESS THE PLT REQUESTED AFTER HE HAD GOTTEN INTO IT. (THIS WAS DURING THE TIME THAT I WAS LISTENING ON HIS FREQ.) IF IT IS MANDATORY THAT ATC HELP PLTS AROUND WX, THERE WOULD BE A LOT FEWER PLTS FLYING BLINDLY INTO, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT IS UNFORECASTED OR EMBEDDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.